EnRoute Names Its Top-10 New Canadian Restaurants of 2009

Source: By JESSICA DE MELO

Posted: 10/29/09 4:52PM

Filed Under: Canada Travel Guide

Following an intense nationwide search, Chris Nuttall-Smith of Air Canada’s enRoute magazine has made his picks for this year’s '10 Best New Restaurants' for the mag’s eight annual survey.

The restaurants—opened between the summers of 2008 and 2009—delivered “extraordinarily good cooking from largely young chefs who used simple ingredients, traditional techniques and a fresh perspective,” he said.

The nod is considered one of Canada’s top culinary honours. Behold the deserving, below:

1. CIBO TRATTORIA
Where: Vancouver, B.C. (900 Seymour St.)
Nuttall-Smith says: “This is decadence, circa 2009. It’s also one of the most exciting things to happen to the way we eat in years.”
Forte: Authentic Italian cuisine from the imaginarium of Chef Neil Taylor. Dishes contain the freshest of local ingredients and the wine menu comprises an assortment of vintages, hand-picked by top-connoisseur Sebastien Le Goff.
Website: http://www.cibotrattoria.com/index.html

2. The BLACK HOOF
Where: Toronto, Ont. (928 Dundas St. W.)
Nuttall-Smith says: “[It's] known almost entirely for its excellent cured meats… Unlike most other charcuterie bars around North America, [its] 28-year-old chef, Grant van Gameren, makes nearly all of the 40-odd meats on rotation here in-house.”
Forte: This place is a carnivore’s dream come true. Venison, duck and pork products galore: you name it, they’ve got it—with a side of cheese. Not for calorie-counters or the faint-of-flesh.
Website: http://www.nowtoronto.com/food/story.cfm?content=166032

3. RUSH
Where: Calgary, Alta. (00 – 207 9th Ave. S.W.)
Nuttall-Smith says: “Chef Justin Leboe’s menu is smart, cosmopolitan and completely delicious.”
Forte: Innovation. Rush’s seasonal menu culls ingredients from local jardins first, then the global market. Their young, but impressive wine cellar includes both classic and scarce up-and-coming labels. From Great Bordeaux to German Riesling; Italian to Greek, their selection promises options and inspiration.
Website: http://rushrestaurant.com/wine.htm

4. ATELIER
Where: Ottawa, Ont. (540 Rochester St.)
Nuttall-Smith says: “Chef Marc Lépine’s labour of love is one of those rare science-inspired kitchens where the food isn’t a chore to eat—it’s maddeningly good.”
Forte: Ingenuity. The one and only menu item is a 13-course taste-test. In one sitting, you can go from “Pretzel Pops” to “Duck Choco-latte”. Their cleverly-titled dishes; creative mix of flavours and careful exposition turn dinner into delicious art.
Website: http://www.atelierrestaurant.ca/

5. MURRAY STREET
Where: Ottawa, Ont. (110 Murray St.)
Nuttall-Smith says: “Chef and co-owner Steve Mitton revels in off-cuts of pork and game, and specializes in colon-busting takes on vernacular culinary classics.”
Forte: From the farm to your fork, this eatery both raises and cooks your meal. Dishes like “Offal-ly Good” beg “guests' trust” and are cooked with in-house produce. Bob Kerr’s Beef—a “red wine braised, grass-fed Ontario short rib” is dressed with sour cream spaetzle and savoury Le Coprin mushrooms.
Website: http://www.murraystreet.ca

6. CABANA à SUCRE AU PIED DE COCHON
Where: Saint-Benoît de Mirabel, Que. (11382 rang de la Fresnière)
Nuttall-Smith says: “This backwoods outpost of Martin Picard’s Au pied de cochon re-imagines a beloved Quebecois custom into something more finely wrought than tradition ever could have dreamed.”
Forte: Picard’s latest sugar-shack brings an urban twist to sweet traditions. The kitchen combines sugar and swine; naturally, foie de gras and maple syrup find their way into every sizably-portioned dish.
Website: http://www.cabaneasucreaupieddecochon.com

7. SHIP TO SHORE
Where: Malpeque Bay, P.E.I. (2684 Route 20, Darnley)
Nuttall-Smith says: “[It's] a 1970s roadhouse rescued from oblivion and refurbished by shellfish fisherman Stephen Stewart and champion oyster shucker, John Bil. They do seafood the way it was before long-haul refrigeration and Mrs. Dash got in the way.”
Forte: Shellfish, shellfish, shellfish.
Website: http://www.shiptoshorelounge.com

8. PIZZERIA LIBRETTO
Where: Toronto, Ont. (221 Ossington Ave.)
Nuttall-Smith says: “This is the only place in Canada to bear the pizza police’s stamp of approval.”
Forte: Authentic, Neapolitan pizza. Their organic, stone-ground doughs are dressed with local herbs, legumes and home-cut meats; with crusts charred to perfection in an antique, wood-fired oven. It’s one-of-a-kind, but be prepared to wait in line.
Website: http://www.pizzerialibretto.com

9. CULINA HIGHLANDS
Where: Edmonton, Alta. (6509 112th Ave.)
Nuttall-Smith says: “Modern Ukrainian? This deeply charming Edmonton room (picture Grandma’s farmhouse kitchen with Nelson bubble lamps), does it with a silky reduction of beet juice and local honey, which is drizzled over whipped goat cheese and poppy-seed custard and crispy bread.”
Forte: There’s nothing like a home-cooked meal; and that’s just what you’ll get here. The Culina family offers comfort food in a quaint and cozy setting. Their breakfasts are all-the-buzz and dinners marry traditional fare with modern refinement, like their “Lamb Koftas” bathed in horseradish-cilantro cream sauce on a bed of eggplant couscous.
Website: http://culinafamily.ca/highlands/

10. LA SALLE à MANGER
Where: Montréal, Que. (1302 ave du Mont-Royal E.)
Nuttall-Smith says: “Can a bistro be a bistro and still feel exciting? At Montreal’s La Salle à Manger, the answer is an emphatic yes.”
Forte: This young bistro is unpretentious, but aims to impress by tweaking familiar dishes with craft and care. The duck tartare, braised in cognac and paté spices, is a favourite. The skin, which is fried in duck fat, tops it all off, adding crunch and colour. In typical French fashion, meals are accompanied by a three-cheese platter. A night here will run you a pretty penny but, for the die-hard foodie, La Salle is worth it.
Website: http://www.lasalleamanger.ca